open and flames the color of blood danced within it.
Behind me, I heard the doors slam shut with a loud boom that echoed through the empty space. What now? I thought. What happens now?
The bird fluttered its wings and flew forward and I knew that the time was near. This is how I die. Rosie said I had died and this is how it happens. I walked toward the flames. If I should die before I wake, I pray the lord my soul to take.
Something moved in the fire, something big. Flames exploded from its opening. The heat stopped me in my tracks.
A fireball as large as a house wavered in the air in front of the furnace. Then, as I watched, it began to take the shape of a human, a human with outstretched arms, and it lowered onto the steel floor.
The fire receded as it transformed itself and something else took its place, something with the body of a human. That’s where the resemblance ended. His face had two large holes where his eyes should have been and another hole instead of a nose, only his mouth seemed somewhat normal. The long black hair covering his head and shoulders seemed to have a life of its own, each strand slithering snakelike in the air. He wore a red flannel shirt and dungarees that rode up his chest like a bib, fastened by straps that buttoned on each side.
A flame rose from the palm of each outstretched hand. He was tall enough to look down on us, and when he did, he smiled.
“Well now, isn’t this nice? I so rarely get visitors anymore. What a treat!” He brought his hands together and the flame in each extinguished with a loud clap.
“Enough tricks. I think it is time for a proper introduction now that all are in attendance.”
He stepped forward and I noticed that he walked on black hoofs instead of feet.
“You wore boots the last time we met, and you also had eyes and a nose,” I said.
“Ah, Lori. My brave and observant Lori. Others might be cringing in fear, but not Lori.”
The paper bird came to rest on my shoulder as he spoke. The deer and the cat remained immobile, staring straight ahead.
“Oh yes. We must not forget her three companions. I trust the four of you had a pleasant journey getting here?”
“What did you do with Clarksdale?” I asked.
“Inquisitive still, I see. No matter. Your town has served its purpose for now. I saw no further need for it so I made it disappear.” He snapped his fingers. “Poof. Gone. Neat trick, huh?”
“Did you kill my parents?”
“Well now, there’s no beating around the bush for you, is there?” His mouth closed for a moment. A thin ribbon of smoke curled out from between his thin lips.
“A story first. I was sent here a long time ago as a punishment of sorts. I misbehaved, Lori, much as you do from time to time. Anyhow, I was banished to this place long before your kind found it. I grew to like the solitude. I found it peaceful. Then your ancestors came and they brought your town with them. They sought out a familiar setting in an unfamiliar place. Your breed goes back many ages. Some are more powerful than others, but each one found me, much like you find each other. Your kind gravitate to each other.
“You became my playthings for a while. I must admit you fixed the place up, all the colors in the sky, in the buildings, on the ground. None of that was of my making.”
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a corncob pipe. “Do you mind if I smoke while I talk? It relaxes me.”
A sharp flame shot from the tip of his finger. He placed it over the pipe’s bowl and drew in smoke. “Ah, much better. Now, where was I? Oh yes, those who came before you. They assumed ownership of the land, my land, each one molding it more to their liking. Some of you went as far as to create animals of straw and glass, and birds of paper, many birds of paper. That was the last straw, if you’ll pardon the pun. I had enough and made my presence known.”
He took a drag off his pipe and I saw his face change. The holes shrank and, as I
Behind me, I heard the doors slam shut with a loud boom that echoed through the empty space. What now? I thought. What happens now?
The bird fluttered its wings and flew forward and I knew that the time was near. This is how I die. Rosie said I had died and this is how it happens. I walked toward the flames. If I should die before I wake, I pray the lord my soul to take.
Something moved in the fire, something big. Flames exploded from its opening. The heat stopped me in my tracks.
A fireball as large as a house wavered in the air in front of the furnace. Then, as I watched, it began to take the shape of a human, a human with outstretched arms, and it lowered onto the steel floor.
The fire receded as it transformed itself and something else took its place, something with the body of a human. That’s where the resemblance ended. His face had two large holes where his eyes should have been and another hole instead of a nose, only his mouth seemed somewhat normal. The long black hair covering his head and shoulders seemed to have a life of its own, each strand slithering snakelike in the air. He wore a red flannel shirt and dungarees that rode up his chest like a bib, fastened by straps that buttoned on each side.
A flame rose from the palm of each outstretched hand. He was tall enough to look down on us, and when he did, he smiled.
“Well now, isn’t this nice? I so rarely get visitors anymore. What a treat!” He brought his hands together and the flame in each extinguished with a loud clap.
“Enough tricks. I think it is time for a proper introduction now that all are in attendance.”
He stepped forward and I noticed that he walked on black hoofs instead of feet.
“You wore boots the last time we met, and you also had eyes and a nose,” I said.
“Ah, Lori. My brave and observant Lori. Others might be cringing in fear, but not Lori.”
The paper bird came to rest on my shoulder as he spoke. The deer and the cat remained immobile, staring straight ahead.
“Oh yes. We must not forget her three companions. I trust the four of you had a pleasant journey getting here?”
“What did you do with Clarksdale?” I asked.
“Inquisitive still, I see. No matter. Your town has served its purpose for now. I saw no further need for it so I made it disappear.” He snapped his fingers. “Poof. Gone. Neat trick, huh?”
“Did you kill my parents?”
“Well now, there’s no beating around the bush for you, is there?” His mouth closed for a moment. A thin ribbon of smoke curled out from between his thin lips.
“A story first. I was sent here a long time ago as a punishment of sorts. I misbehaved, Lori, much as you do from time to time. Anyhow, I was banished to this place long before your kind found it. I grew to like the solitude. I found it peaceful. Then your ancestors came and they brought your town with them. They sought out a familiar setting in an unfamiliar place. Your breed goes back many ages. Some are more powerful than others, but each one found me, much like you find each other. Your kind gravitate to each other.
“You became my playthings for a while. I must admit you fixed the place up, all the colors in the sky, in the buildings, on the ground. None of that was of my making.”
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a corncob pipe. “Do you mind if I smoke while I talk? It relaxes me.”
A sharp flame shot from the tip of his finger. He placed it over the pipe’s bowl and drew in smoke. “Ah, much better. Now, where was I? Oh yes, those who came before you. They assumed ownership of the land, my land, each one molding it more to their liking. Some of you went as far as to create animals of straw and glass, and birds of paper, many birds of paper. That was the last straw, if you’ll pardon the pun. I had enough and made my presence known.”
He took a drag off his pipe and I saw his face change. The holes shrank and, as I
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